What We Learned from Tottenham Hotspur's 2014 Summer Transfer Window

Next weekend, Tottenham Hotspur take on Sunderland in their first post-summer transfer window match.

For the next few months, speculation and transfer activity with any immediate consequences are put on the back burner. Mauricio Pochettino and his squad can focus on their football.

Before we completely move on, the following article takes a final (collective) look at what we learned from Tottenham's transfer activity this past summer.

Already this week, we have looked at the quieter nature of Spurs' dealings compared to years past, as well as taken a player-by-player look at each of the club's signings for the season.

This time, the varied nature of the departures from White Hart Lane are examined, as is the decision to keep faith in the previous year's arrivals.

Up first, how a more youthful form of income is coming to the fore for the north Londoners again.

Current Crop of Youngsters Can Continue to Earn Club Good Money

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Jake Livermore joined Hull City on a permanent basis after spending a year on loan there.

Tottenham are currently benefiting from one of the most talented crop of players their youth system has produced in quite some time. It is arguably the most promising since a generation of homegrown talents including Garry Brooke, Marc Falco, Micky Hazard Glenn Hoddle, Chris Hughton and Paul Miller helped Spurs to success at home and in Europe in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Andros Townsend has become an England international, while Harry Kane is on the verge of becoming a first-team regular. Some of those currently on loan, such as Kenneth McEvoy (Peterborough United) and Alex Pritchard (Brentford), are regarded as decent prospects, while others like Tom Carroll and Ryan Mason will still have hopes of breaking into the first team.

The other side of having a good array of talent coming through is that Spurs also have assets who could make them a profit if they are not required by the manager—something they are making more use of than they have for a good few years.

In the last year Simon Dawkins, Jonathan Obika and Adam Smith have been sold to lower-league clubs. More notably, Steven Caulker and Jake Livermore joined Premier League sides Cardiff City and Hull City respectively for a combined reported fee of £16 million.

The hope is that Townsend, Kane and others will become integral long-term parts of the Spurs first-team squad. Should things not work out, recently signed contracts and their time playing in north London should see them command similarly sizable fees from teams keen for Premier League ready talent.

The continued loan experience of players like Carroll and Pritchard ensures they too are at least somewhat equipped for life outside of Tottenham.

It is not as magical a prospect for fans as Hoddle and Co. leading the team to glory, but it does serve a practical value to the club.

Competition for Places Will Have Its Casualties

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Gylfi Sigurdsson had a mixed two years with Spurs and has now rejoined Swansea City.

The Premier League's 25-man squad rule means clubs cannot excessively stockpile players. Nonetheless, there is still enough scope within those limitations for clubs like Tottenham to put together a group full of experienced and talented players.

Naturally, the annual process of tweaking or making changes to a squad means players who will have aimed to feature regularly in the starting XI—and at some point will have been considered likely to—fall by the wayside.

This summer, Spurs sold Michael Dawson, Zeki Fryers, Jake Livermore, Sandro and Gylfi Sigurdsson. Lewis Holtby has gone on loan to Hamburg with a future permanent departure likely, while Heurelho Gomes left upon the expiration of his contract.

Dawson, Fryers, Livermore and Gomes moved on with their respective times at Spurs probably going as far as they were likely to. The others, though, are players Pochettino might well have made use of in the circumstances of them happily staying to compete.

As stated on the official Spurs website's transfer window roundup, they "left in order to seek increased playing opportunities." As much as the club want to have depth and multiple options, there is only so long that players will tolerate bit-part or supporting roles.

Sigurdsson has already reiterated what a quality attacking midfielder he is this season, reveling in the starting opportunities granted back at Swansea City. Holtby and Sandro stand a good chance of doing similar at Hamburg and Queens Park Rangers respectively.

If things do not work out with some of the players currently at Spurs, these exes may well be ruefully pined for. That is the possible cost that comes with the club's quest for self-improvement.

Dawson, Gomes and Sandro Departures Mark a Real Changing of the Guard

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Michael Dawson and Sandro were two of the last players left from Tottenham's run in the Champions League. Here they are pictured celebrating beating AC Milan in March, 2011.

Times change in football, obviously. Still, the departure of key players from previous years always takes some getting used to.

Save for the continued presence of Aaron Lennon—and as the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law has reported, he was close to leaving himself—there are no main links left to the Martin Jol era. On top of Lennon, only Emmanuel Adebayor, Brad Friedel and Kyle Walker remain from the sides Harry Redknapp put together (Danny Rose and Andros Townsend were also around, but they were less prominent then).

Even then, the latter three were not part of the team that competed in the Champions League as recently as 2010-11.

Dawson, Gomes and Sandro leaving has really severed Spurs' ties with a period that saw the club re-emerge as one genuinely competing at the upper end of the English top-flight.

Even considering that the time is probably right for them to move on (certainly in Gomes' case, a non-presence these last couple of years), it is still a notable shift in direction for Spurs.

The onus is now on those who remain and who have just joined to at least maintain Tottenham's status as a top-six Premier League club with European aspirations.

Spurs Are Giving Their Summer 2013 Signings a Fair Shot

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Nacer Chadli is one of several players looking to improve in their second year at Spurs.

"I have always felt from the beginning that we did not need to make big changes to this squad," Pochettino told Tottenham's official website last week, reflecting on this summer's transfer activity. 

"We believe in these players, they are great professionals and I am convinced of the quality we have in all areas."

Given the frequent speculation that surrounded many of them in 2014, these comments were certainly with the expensive summer 2013 signings—who each had such mixed first seasons at Tottenham—in mind.

Bar Christian Eriksen—voted Player of the Year by Spurs supporters—Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado have all headed into this season with plenty to prove.

The case could have been made for moving some of them on. Full credit to Spurs, though, they are giving them the chance to show they have learned from their experiences and can contribute more consistently this time around.

Erik Lamela has already looked more confident and battle-ready, a marked change from the decidedly less prepared player of last season. Nacer Chadli repaid the faith shown in him by scoring twice against QPR.

The others have hinted at making improvements at this early stage too.

There is a long way to go this season, and some of them may ultimately find their playing opportunities limited. As things stand, they are being given as fair a chance as can realistically be hoped for to ensure otherwise.